This invention relates in general to electronic timepieces and, more particularly, to an improvement over such electronic timepieces having a plurality of control switches to perform various functions.
In general, modern electronic timepieces include integrated circuits and photoelectric display elements such as light-emitting diode, electrochromism and liquid crystal etc. These electronic timepieces usually provide various functions such as time setting and seconds zeroing in addition to basic timekeeping function. In electronic timepieces of the time-dial type, it has also been proposed to provide multi-functions in addition to their basic timekeeping function.
A problem is encountered in the prior art electronic timepieces of the type mentioned above in that a large number of control switches are necessarily incorporated in the watch cases resulting in an increased size of the timepieces. To solve this problem, various attempts have heretofore been made to provide control switches which can perform the desired functions. Typical one of these control switches is a crown which is adapted to be axially movable in stepwise fashion and also rotatable in either direction to provide a multi-switching function.
Another expedient is to utilize the number of times of manual operation of the control switch or the time interval in which the control switch is manually operated to provide a plurality of switching functions. A problem is also encountered with these prior art expedients in that not only a manual operation of the control switches will be difficult to achieve but also the electronic timepieces will be complicated in circuit arrangement.